Q2 2010 - Automotive Industries

Cooling water ventilation pipe. Cooling water pipe with quick connectors.
By replacing the standard technology for water or oil cooling with
our Freeflex tubes and quick connectors, we are able to reduce
the weight of the system by 30 to 50%. These systems would
usually be made up of a combination of elastomer hoses with
metal tubes.
The newly patented Freeflex technology allows us to manufacture
geometries that can’t be done with traditional hose technology.
The materials developed by Norma for the Freeflex technology
have the same flexibility as elastomer hoses but are much lighter
in weight as they have a different density. Our Freeflex and plastic
pipes have thinner walls, the outside diameter is smaller and we
can weld our new quick connectors onto the pipes. This eliminates
the interface pipe to quick connector – offering higher quality and
lower costs through the elimination of an additional clamp, crimp
ring or overmould.
Another advantage is that our quick connectors and pipes are
designed and adjusted to each other, so Norma solutions show
the lowest risk of leakages.
As Norma has more than 60 years of experience in
connecting and joining technology, we can offer customers
both the solutions and related components in one. Because our
customers manufacture their vehicles in various international
plants, the Norma Group production locations are equipped
with a modular tool and machinery system that enables us to
move or share production of quick connectors, clamps and
pipe systems between our plants in Europe, Americas, India
and China. We can therefore avoid high transport costs, and
our production is close to the customer, which has several
additional advantages.
AI: What are the biggest challenges currently facing the
company?
Kraus: The downsizing of engines and more complex
technology has led to the need for more temperature and pressure
solutions. To aid in this, the Norma Group has developed different
base materials for the individual applications which can be adjusted
to the specific requirements of the individual system. Our plastic
pipes can be used in temperatures of up to 180°C and our plastic
quick connectors can be used up to 220°C. For temperatures
above 220°C, we offer metal quick connectors.
The increasing pressure in combination with a higher temperature
is a challenge for each interface between pipe or hose to quick
connector or spigot. We weld our new plastic quick connectors
onto the pipes which reduces the risk of leakage or pull off.
Our new clamps are equipped with flexible elements that
enable the same clamping forces at high and low temperatures
and compensate for the flow of the material.
AI: Which vehicle manufacturers are using Norma coolant
pipes, quick connectors and clamps?
Kraus: I am proud to say that every European OEM is using
Norma standard quick connectors or clamps for their water
cooling or oil cooling applications. Our standard plastic pipe
systems are in use at numerous European passenger car and
truck manufactures
Our new plastic or Freeflex pipe systems are already in use at
PSA, Fiat, Daimler Truck and MAN. Our application engineers are
currently working on numerous international projects at different
OEMs for future hybrid and e-vehicles which will come onto the
market in 2011. AI
“ By replacing the standard technology for water or oil cooling
with our Freeflex tubes and quick connectors, we are able to
reduce the weight of the system by 30 to 50%. ”
Thomas Kraus, director Sales and Application Engineering Western Europe at the Norma Group
Automotive Industries 21